The invention relates generally to cooling systems and more specifically to a flexible metal element fan isolation mount.
Cooling systems are used on vehicles today to provide cooling to an engine during operation. A typical cooling system comprises a combination water pump and fan drive. Fan drives are typically driven by the engine crankshaft at a fixed ratio to cool engine coolant as it flows through a radiator. More specifically, a fan that is rigidly mounted to the fan drive generates the airflow as a function of engine crankshaft rotational speed for cooling the radiator.
One problem that is common in these types of cooling systems is vibration caused by the mounting of the fan to the fan drive. This vibration can be detrimental to various components in the cooling system, including the fan hub or water pump.
It has been shown that if the fan is resiliently mounted to the fan drive (for example, using rubber grommets under the bolt heads and between the fan and fan drive), substantial reduction in cooling system vibration levels can be achieved. However, rubber or other elastomeric mounts can change properties over time with temperature, thereby affecting vibration levels. Further, elastomeric materials are also subject to creep and deterioration over time.
It is thus highly desirable to introduce a flexible, durable mounting apparatus to mount the fan to the fan drive to decrease vibration levels.
The above and other objects of the invention are met by the present invention that is an improvement over known cooling systems.
The present invention includes the use of a flexible metal disk, or elements, to mount the fan to the fan drive. The metal disk is a resilient mounting, and as such reduces vibration levels between the fan and fan drive, thereby preventing damage to various components within the cooling system. The flexible metal disk also functions to self align the fan and the fan drive. The flexible metal disk is also durable, and therefore offers improved creep and deterioration resistance as compared with typical elastomeric mountings.
In another preferred embodiment, multiple flexible metal disks may be coupled together to provide additional damping as compared with single disk systems.
Other features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, when viewed in accordance with the attached drawings and appended claims.